Family Secrets
by kaotic312
Summary: Young Kiba finds more than he bargains for when he looks into his clan's past. Mystery and Adventure. Do Kiba and Hana really want to find out who killed their father? And do they need to look any farther than at their remaining parent, Tsume?


**So. What happens when you have a long (several) stories in need of an update? When you're an hour away from midnight ...and recovering from day surgery from last week still ...and ...you should NOT have any NEW ideas to work on? Bam. Yep. Plot Bunnies can be evil at times, and persistent.**

**Still don't own Naruto.**

o.O.o.O.o.O

Akamaru whimpered and circled three times before deigning to roll over and 'play dead'. Nine-year old Inuzuka Kiba laughed with excitement and gave his puppy a treat. They were supposed to be working on tracking skills, but Kiba sniffled and rubbed his nose with his coat sleeve. He had a cold and didn't feel like it.

Which would piss off Tsume, his mom.

Kiba looked around carefully, but he and his nin-dog puppy were alone out here. But just to be sure ... he sat down and deliberately called chakra to his nose like she herself had taught him. She and his older sister Hana both claimed that he'd be able to due this automatically one day soon, but for right now he really had to concentrate on what he was doing to make it work right.

Taking a deep whiff of air, he ignored Akamaru as the puppy sat down next to him, also sniffing. The two were nearly mirror images of each other in pose, except for the part where one was a puppy and one a young boy.

Dark eyes snapped open as he caught wind of something on the air alright, only ...it wasn't mom!

"C'mon boy ..." Kiba whispered in a growly kind of way. He swung upwind of his prey, as he'd been taught over and over again already. The youngster dropped to his belly and by his side, Akamaru did the same.

Boy and puppy snuck quietly up to the boulders overlook the small alcove on Inuzuka land. Private memorial place for a father Kiba had never met, the shinobi had died in battle while Tsume had still been pregnant with him.

But this was not a time of sadness. Kiba grinned full out, nearly bursting with triumph and delight as he spied his fourteen-year old pain in the ass sister ...kissing someone. He put his hand over his mouth and ran through everything he could possibly think of to do in this situation.

Leaving them be was not something that even crossed his devious Inuzuka mind.

"Oi! Didn't know you liked girls, Hana!" Kiba yelled out with glee. "Especially old hags like that one! He needs a haircut!"

Hana pulled away from Iruka, who was blushing. She sighed and shook her head glumly. "Pest."

"Hag!"

Iruka ran one hand through his hair and looked over at his date. "I thought he was calling me the hag?"

Hana shrugged. "He's an equal opportunity BRAT!" And with that, she flash-stepped up behind Kiba who froze and then turned to give her a grin. "Tell me why I shouldn't break every bone in your body little brother!"

"It wouldn't look good in front of your ...guest!" Kiba laughed up at her, still grinning as she grabbed a handful of his coat and yanked him up to face him square on. "Besides. Mom would ask me about bruises and broken bones." He stuck out his tongue and made a rude noise at her.

Akamaru barked his enjoyment, before Hana's three bigger nin-dogs circled the puppy. The shaggy white puppy dropped to his belly and growled, wagging his tail. He was ready for a fight just as much as his young master.

"Go on. Beat me up. Look reaaaal mature in front of your date!" Kiba pressed his luck fearlessly. "It'll look nice on his report just before he starts teaching at the Academy later."

Hana sighed and dropped her baby brother rudely on his backside as the jerk hugged his belly, laughing up at her in victory.

"Wait until I tell mom!"

Fourteen year old girls aren't known for their patience. Neither are Inuzuka. Hana was both.

Kiba yelped as he went airborne from her kick, landing at Iruka's feet as Akamaru yelped in protest and raced off after the young boy. Kiba rolled over and blinked up at Iruka, still grinning. "You might wanna take out a new girl. One who knows how to ACT like a girl!"

Iruka shook his head down at the young boy, one who would one day be one of his students. If he did decide to take the teaching position at the Academy. Would all the kids be like this one?

"Inuzuka are not tale tellers!" Hana growled, moving to stand over him, her fist cocked back in an overt threat.

Kiba grinned. "Buy me off." He told her. "Do my chores for a week!"

"You barter like a tinker!" Hana snarled, referring to the traveling folk who wandered nomadically throughout the lands selling odds and ends, fixing pots and pans, and often were considered to be thieves. And they certainly knew how to haggle over prices. She eyed her little brother and turned suddenly from physical attack to big-sister tactics. "That's right, blood will tell."

Kiba grinned up at her. "We have a deal or not? A week of chores or mom learns about your k-i-s-s-i-n-g!" He swept out a hand. "At Dad's memorial too ...shame on you!"

"My dad, not yours." Hana made it up as she crossed her arms. "We bought you from the tinkers. Got you for a bargain since they didn't want you, but we shouldn't have ...you weren't worth the price."

Logic didn't enter into it. Kiba reacted like he always did, immediately and without much thought.

"Take that back!" He snarled, jumping to his feet. "Liar!"

"Look it up if you don't believe me." Hana smirked and grabbed Iruka's arm, leading him away. "You're no Inuzuka, Dad died before you ever came along. See? If you were one of us... Akamaru would mind your commands better. It's too bad. Maybe we can sell you back."

"HAG!" Kiba screeched after his sister as he kicked the dust at his feet uselessly. He looked down at Akamaru and wiped the dust from his face. "Play dead." He told his nin-dog.

The shaggy puppy looked up at him cutely, barked and sat up on his back legs in the classic 'beg' position.

Kiba scowled. The puppy was young, very young, just weaned two weeks ago in fact. Mom said all nin-dogs needed training. But ...Hana's THREE dogs obeyed her perfectly. And Mom's dog could talk. Out loud. In better Japanese than Kiba. The youngster scowled, making Akamar whimper and drop back down onto all fours.

"Talk!" Kiba commanded.

Akamaru looked up eagerly and barked three times. Kiba sighed. "I am an Inuzuka!" He vowed. He looked up and saw his father's memorial stone and an idea formed.

Yeah. Birth certificate. With his dad's name on it. He'd put it on the dinner table tonight, right before he told Tsume about Hana kissing old what's-his-name.

"Come on boy." Kiba called, taking off for the main house, Akamaru yipping at his heels.

o.O.o.O.o.O

"Kiba!" The hissing sound of his name could only be coming from Hana. But the young boy didn't answer, still too shocked to move as he sat in the closet holding some papers.

Hana threw open the door and blinked to adjust to the dim light from the lone bulb. "Mom will be home soon and we need to talk first!"

Kiba just sat there, quiet.

Hana yelled and scolded and paced back and forth in front of the closet. Now that Iruka was gone she could indulge without looking childish herself. An important thing to a young teenage girl. NOW she could vent to her heart's content.

But ...Hana slowed as she stared at her baby brother. The nine-year old just wasn't reacting right. He was just staring off into space looking much younger than he really was. Hana squatted down and tried to take the papers from him, but Kiba suddenly snarled and yanked them back.

"Did you know?" He accused her.

Blankly, Hana shook her head. "What are you talking about?"

He waved a piece of paper in front of her eyes and she sighed. "Your birth certificate? Kiba, I was making that up. Of course we didn't buy you from the tinkers." She sighed again as only a teenager could manage. "Idiot."

Kiba pushed the paper in front of her face. He tried to talk, but kept choking up. Puzzled, Hana stood up, reading the paper quickly.

"A commendation for Inuzuka Tsume? For ...oh, this is when she took over the clan leadership" She blinked. "So what?"

Kiba blinked slowly and pointed up at the paper without looking up at his sister, his expression still blank. "Accompanied by her husband."

"So?" Hana asked, leaning against the door jamb of the closet.

"Look at the date." Kiba sighed, dropping his head onto his bent knees.

Hana did and then blinked herself. "But ..."

"Dad died before I was born, right?" Kiba sighed into his knees. "So how did he escort mom to that party three months after I was born? Huh?"

Hana shook her head. "Just a mistake. Mom ...well, it's just a mistake is all."

Kiba held up the other sheets he'd been holding.

Hana looked at them, reluctant to take them and see what had her brother so upset.

Kiba waved them at her and finally looked up. "Guess what else mom kept? The official report reprimanding her for murder. Dad's murder."

Hana's suddenly numb fingers dropped the paper she was holding, her eyes gone huge. Kiba stared at her and then nodded. "Good. At least you didn't know either."

o.O.o.O.o.O

**Well, I hope you found it interesting. We'll see!**


End file.
